Father-son team set for 2017 Porsche campaign

Popular Porsche driver Stephen Grove has raced with the sports car brand since 2011, starting in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia before moving to Porsche Carrera Cup Australia in 2012.

Grove has experienced much throughout his six years in Porsche one-make series, highlighted by his 2014 TAG Heuer Carrera Challenge title victory and becoming the first Challenge ranked driver to win a single-driver Carrera Cup race when taking the chequered flag at the Carrera Cup Asia & Australia Class B battle in Sydney.

Along the way, Stephen has had the unwavering support of his son, Brenton Grove, who will now follow in his father’s footsteps.

In 2017, Brenton will begin his own ascent up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid when lining up in a Class A Porsche in the GT3 Cup Challenge series.

Brenton made his debut in the Porsche series in 2014 in a one-off appearance at Phillip Island, where he claimed Class B honours. Having completed his high school studies in 2015, Brenton entered motorsport full-time in 2016 in the Australian Formula 4 Championship.

Now Brenton will join Stephen as a full-time Porsche racer, something his father is excited to experience this season.

“Brenton has been around the Porsche paddock ever since I started in GT3 Cup Challenge in 2011, in which time he’s learnt much about the ins and outs of motorsport, so much so that he is largely responsible for the growth and day-to-day running of the motorsport component of our Grove Group business,” said Stephen.

“It will be great to see Brenton now race with a roof over his head. He did a great job in his GT3 Cup Challenge debut a couple of years ago and has continued to improve both in Formula 4 and in various events in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. GT3 Cup Challenge will now be a great next step in his racing career.

“From a personal point of view, it’s exciting to see Brenton move into Porsche racing. Hopefully I can teach him a thing or two this year and, eventually, I’m sure he can return the favour.”

Brenton is also excited about the season ahead, where he will campaign the same car his father raced in Carrera Cup throughout the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

“I’m excited to make the step up from Formula 4 to GT3 Cup Challenge. I’ve been around the Porsche paddock for some time so I’m familiar with the GT3 Cup Challenge series, but I’m looking forward to seeing it from a different prospective in 2017,” said Brenton.

“Racing the 2011-spec 911 GT3 Cup is going to be a tremendous experience, but more so, I get to share it with Dad again, though now the roles are reversed. I’ll certainly lean on him for advice as he’s done this all before.

“My immediate focus is GT3 Cup Challenge and improving my performance at the wheel of a Porsche. From there, my ultimate goal is to progress to the top-tier Carrera Cup championship and race alongside Dad in the family team. We are a racing family at heart and it would be awesome to share that experience with him.”

Stephen’s Carrera Cup season kicks off in three weeks at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 02-05 before Brenton begins his GT3 Cup Challenge assault at Sandown Raceway on April 07-09.